The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-11-01
VoT1NG TAXES For RAILROADS.


The Carolina, Knoxville and Weste IN
Railroad is line which proposes to
connect Port Royal, S. C, with Knox
vile, Tennessee, passing by Augusta, Ga,
Greenville, S. c., Asheville or through
Haywood, N. C., to Knoxville. There
are about one hundred miles of this line,
between Augusta and Greenville graded.
A contract has been made for the compile.
ton of this line through, provided the
counties through which it passes will
vote reasonable subscriptions The coun-
ties in South Carolina have done their
part in this respect. Pennsylvania and
Haywood counties in North Carolina,
and Sewer and Knox counties in Tennes-
see have done theirs. The good.
progressive old county of Buncombe only
remains to do its part to secure this very
important line. This county will vote
on the 10Th instant, upon the proposition.
The proposition submitted to Bun
combe, however, involves subscription TO
two other roads, the Carolina, Central
from Rutherfordton to Asheville, con-
Meeting here with the Carolina, Knox
vile and Western for Knoxville, and a
road from Asheville by way of Weaver
vile, Flat Creek, Ivy, Burnsyille and
Bakersville to Cranberry to connect with
the Three C.'s Road at the latter place.
The amount proposed to be voted is
four hundred thousand dollars, in bonds,
to be due in thirty years from date of
issue, bearing four per cent interest; one
hundred thousand to be issued to the
Carolina, Knoxville and Western Road
upon its completion from South Carolina
to Asheville, one hundred thousand to be
issued to the Carolina, Central when
ompleted from Rutherfordton to Ashe-
vile, one hundred thousand to the line
from Asheville to Cranberry when COM
plCted, and the remaining one hundred
thousand to the Carolina, Knoxville and
West erD, or the Carolina Central, when
either shall be completed from Asheville
Leicester and Sandy MuSh in
the direction of Knoxville.
As we have stated all the counties in
volved have voted the amounts asked of
them, and Buncombe only remains to be
heard from.
What will oar people do about it?
Can they afford to sit still and fall be-
hind other communities in enterprise
and prosperity?
Cannot thev afford to assume the debt
a: the farthest, provided all the
four roads are completed, involving for
their generation only sixteen thousand
dollars per annuu? four thousand dol
lars-not exceeding five cents on the
hundred dollars of property-to each
road?
A. matt: rs stand to-day, Asheville will
have to pay two-thirds of the taxes. If
one or more of these roads are built
and We pay nothing until they are built
and hninO H..
be largely increased. Cannot our coun-
try friends, who will certainly be benefit
ted by Asheville's grow'h, assist to SO
small on extent in securing the agencies
which all must know will help all so
much?
We ask our people to think of this
Our county authorities do not hesitate to
say that by the time either road can be
completed 30 as to entitle it to the quota
of bonds the annual tax levy will be
much reduced from what it is now, and
to provide for all the proposed interest
will still leave the levy, for all State and
county purposes, at 20 cents or less-not
more, on the hundred dollars ofproperty.
The present levy, for State and county,
is 20 cents, the smallest since the war;
and even with all four roads provided
for, by the time they would have to be
provided for, the levy would not exceed
20 cents, and most probably will be less
Cannot our people afford to take this
risk which promises so much to their
county, and which cannot increase their
present burdens?
1t has been shown that as Asheville
increases in wealth, the ratio of taxation
increases in the town and decreases cor
respondingly in all the country town
ships As a matter OF dollars and cents
it is economy for our country frieuds to
assist all they can to build up and in
crease the wealth cf AsheVille, thereby
lessening their own proportion of
taxation.
Think of these things, friends, and let
us all unite in voting the subscription.
We conscientiously and can6idly say
that it is the cheapest investment to
promise such immense wealth without
any, risk whatever on the part of the
pc ople, we have ever knewn. Let us
show We can at least assume reaponsibili
ties which promise so much if all is done,
and which involve Us in nothing II no.
thing is done. -